The present invention relates in general to glass and its use in a radiation environment. The glass is hydrated and has been found to be resistant to color change even after irradiation by gamma rays at more than 10.sup.7 rad.
Glass having high water content is known and exemplified for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,073,654 and 4,098,596 to Wu.
It is also known to make transparent viewing windows from glass which contains cerium oxides. Such glasses are resistant to coloration after intense or prolonged exposures to radiation.
Studies have been made concerning the effect of radiation on glass and similar materials. These studies are exemplified by; S. P. Faile and D. M. Roy, "Mechanism of Color Center Destruction in Hydrogen Impregnated Radiation Resistant Glasses", Mater Res. Bull., 5 6 385-89 (1970); and
T. Yamamoto, S. Sakka, and M. Tashiro, "Effect of Pressure on Radiation Induced Color Centers in Silicate Glasses", J. Non-Gryst. Solids, 1 6 441-54 (1969).
It is accordingly known that most forms of glass turn brown or become less transparent when exposed to radiation. An object of the invention is to present a method and an arrangement whereby a transparent viewing window, made of a particular kind of glass, can be provided to view radiation sources or be provided in a potential radiation environment without suffering from the coloration problem.